ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a hat
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rule — a law
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com